Berlin Airlift DBQ

“In the circumstances it is clear that the main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be that of a long-term, patient but vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.” This telegram was secretly sent to US State Department officials on February 22, 1946. It was written by George Kennan, an American Foreign Service officer who was stationed in Moscow, at the time. He is saying that the US needs to stop the Russians, who are going to try to expand their territory. The United States believed in the policy of containment and the Russians thought communism was the best way to live. Containment is the action or policy of preventing the expansion of a hostile country or influence. The United States showed its policy of containment during the Berlin Airlift, Korean War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. One event where the US method of containment is apparent, is the Berlin Airlift. In Document B, it quotes, “On June 27, 1948, Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union decided to blockade any shipments (including food) coming into West Berlin. West Berlin was completely surrounded by communism…” This is talking about how the
In Document C, it comments on the map mentioning, “The war drags on for several years, finally ending in 1953 very close to the original 1950 borders.” This war was a battle between Soviet Union-supported, North Korea and US-supported, South Korea. North Korea was a communist region and South Korea believed in the rules of containment. After many years of fighting, there was barely any change to the placement of the border between them.The US worded very hard, constantly supplying South Korea with supplies, food, and weapons so they did not have to lose their land. The fact that the United States aided South Korea, so they did not have to lose any land, where North Korea could have spread communism, shows their policy of